Releve Virginia Division of Natural Heritage, see http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/documents/nh_plotform_instructions.pdf
Overall Taxon Cover Values are Automatically Calculated?
no
Stem Observation Area
400
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
19
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
80
%
Field Cover
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: crest of east ridge of Bull Run Mountain, 1.29 km NE of Beverly Mill. Marked with a metal tree tag. See form/report for sketch. Rock types present: no surface rocks present.
This plot is similar to BULL050P but is located on a sub-level crest and has many fewer pines. The open Quercus montana-dominated forest has very low species-richness and nearly lacks herbaceous plants because of poor, dry, densely humus-mantled soils and intense competition from colonial ericads. Among the latter, Gaylussacia baccata is the prevalent species, with Kalmia latifolia and Vaccinium pallidum also common. Judging from the number of charcoal fragments unearthed while collecting soil samples, past fires on this ridge were frequent and/or large.
